Last Word

At a Student Services managers’ meeting in the spring of 1992, the managers discussed ways the division could better inform the campus community and division donors about the range of services, programs and support Student Services provides to CSULB’s students and the campus community. From this discussion, the idea of a newsletter emerged, and in the fall of 1992, the first issue of In Touch with Student Services was published.

The first In Touch was a four-page, two-color newsletter that featured a cover story about the substance abuse prevention program offered through Student Health Services. Many of the ongoing features of In Touch made their first appearance in that issue, such as the letter from the vice president, staff and student profiles, staff plaudits, feature articles about division units, unit activities, development news and division contacts/phone numbers.
The team of staff members involved in preparing In Touch has changed over the years. Work began with two co-editors (the division’s then Director of Development Deborah Veady and myself, the division’s director of administrative services), with graphic assistance from a student assistant (Andrew Bransby) who just happened to walk into the office one day to inquire if we knew of any office(s) that might need a graphic design student. Along the way, I was privileged to work with several talented graphic designers, including Linda Ewing, Keira Dooley, Aaron Sanchez and Drew Bowles. After Deborah Veady left Student Services, I had the opportunity to work with co-editors Nan Roberts and Kathryn Courtney. By 2008, I was in the unique position of being the only person who had worked with Vice President Robinson on In Touch since its inception. That winter, the vice president appointed me to the role of senior editor.

Vice President Robinson’s vision for In Touch has kept this newsletter going these many years. More than once, others have suggested that we discontinue the print edition and go to an online-only publication. Vice President Robinson remains committed to his view that holding a document in one’s hands, and thumbing through the pages and photos, provides a much more meaningful connection than reading something from a computer screen.

In December 2012, I retired from CSULB. I carried on for a short stint as a retired annuitant so that I could finish the winter 2013 issue of In Touch, which turns out to be the newsletter’s 20th volume.

As I pass the torch to a new team, I take this moment to reflect what has been a delightful 20-year experience. I have been fortunate to have had a role in the evolution of In Touch from that two-color newsletter in 1992 to the full-color, 24-page magazine you hold in your hands today.

Thank you, In Touch readers, for your support of the Student Services Division. I believe that In Touch has fulfilled its mission of keeping you informed about the myriad services the division offers and the many dedicated Student Services employees who strive to provide high quality services, activities and programs for students at The Beach.